CHICAGO - To believe in Michigan at this moment is to believe that Big Ten Player of the Year Trey Burke is really that good, capable of singular feats of NCAA tournament heroism.
Burke has been left to do too much. Michigan, again, is stumbling in March, its weaknesses exposed and confidence shaken.
A team that was flirting with the nation's No. 1 ranking seven weeks ago is now 6-6 in its last 12 games after losing to Wisconsin, 68-59, in the Big Ten quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. The Wolverines won't be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, and an offense that earlier in the season was once of the most dangerous in the country doesn't appear capable of overwhelming any opponent Michigan will see in its bracket.
The defense is reeling, too. Five days after squandering a second-half lead -- and a chance to share the Big Ten title -- against Indiana, Michigan gave up 51 second-half points to Wisconsin on Friday. The Badgers shot 61 percent, 67 percent on 3-pointers a...

You'll
also
receive Yardbarker's daily Top 10, featuring the best sports stories from around the web.
Customize your newsletter to get articles on your favorite sports and teams. And the best part? It's free!

Company Info

Help

What is Yardbarker?

Yardbarker is the largest network of sports blogs and pro athlete blogs on the web. This site is the hub of the Yardbarker Network, where our editors and algorithms curate the best sports content from our network and beyond.